The University of Edinburgh
Sustainability and Environmental Advisory Group (SEAG)
22 October 2013
Information Services Group - SRS Activities
Brief description of the paper
This paper provides a brief summary of Information Services Group Social Responsibility and Sustainability achievements to date, and describe future actions planned for 2013-14.
Action requested
SEAG is invited to note this paper.
Resource implications
Does the paper have resource implications? No
Risk assessment
Does the paper include a risk assessment? No
Equality and Diversity
Has due consideration been given to the equality impact of this paper? No
This paper is designed to provide information only. Individual equality impact assessments should be developed if / when consideration is required against an individual deliverable detailed within the paper.
Freedom of information
Can this paper be included in open business? Yes
Originator of the paper
Gregor Cunningham
IS Facilities Manager
14 October 2013
To be presented by
Gregor Cunningham
IS Facilities Manager
Information Services Group - SRS Activities
Summary
This paper provides a summary of the following activities –
1. Activities completed by Information Services in relation to Social Responsibility & Sustainability throughout 2012/2013.
2. A forecast of activities being undertaken by Information Services in relation to SRS for 2013/2014.
Information has been invited/gathered from each Division within Information Services to provide examples of activities on-going or otherwise which have a direct impact on SRS.
ISG 2012/2013 SRS Activities
Further to the information presented by Information Services in August 2013 providing ‘highlights’ for 2012/13 SRS activities, additional information is provided within this paper.
The ‘highlights’ previously shared include –
1. The opening of the Noreen and Kenneth Murray Library at the King’s Buildings in July 2012.
The library is on the site previously occupied by the Robertson Library, and consolidates collections from Darwin, Robertson, and JCM Libraries.
The building offers a significantly more sustainable approach to its operation through the use of passive ventilation, triple insulation, rain water harvesting, and a glazing system to maximise the use of natural light.
www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/information-services/library-museum-gallery/using-library/lib-locate/murray-library
2. The move towards higher volumes of digital materials is combined with the relocation of materials with lower volumes of use to off-site storage in a drive to reduce footprint costs. The digital materials by their nature are electronic therefore require less space, which has allowed for the introduction of additional study spaces for the student body.
The Scottish Higher Education Digital Library (SHEDL), is led by the University of Edinburgh, and aims to achieve a shared digital library in Scotland with easier access to online content to support research and learning and teaching. This will be achieved through collaborative working with its members combining purchasing power to provide valuable resources for research throughout Scotland. http://scurl.ac.uk/
3. The Library and University Collections division runs a Volunteer and Internship Programme to support social inclusion, recruiting from all areas of the local community. Opportunities are offered for both paid (through Employ.Ed) and unpaid and include positions in Libraries, the Centre for Research Collections, and Museums. Since October 2012 over 55 volunteers and interns have been employed to support a wide range of projects including conservation, cataloguing, collections management, curation, and exhibitions. This has equated to a contribution of approximately 5,000 hours over more than 15 individual projects.
www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/information-services/services/library-museum-gallery/crc/volunteers-interns
4. All of the Information Services managed (in terms of service) printers/copiers have their default setting as duplex rather than single sided and mono rather than colour. As part of the various office relocations of Information Services colleagues during 2013, the majority of office printers with multi-function devices. This has reduced the number of personal printers across the group, and default to the setting described above.
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/information-services/services/computing/desktop-personal/printing/multifunction-devices
5. A number of activities have been undertaken in partnership with other areas of the University to provide technology solutions to support their changing requirements in terms of SRS.
Examples of these are listed below –
· UCAS Paperless Admissions – collaborative working with Registry to move towards a paperless UG applications process.
· Infinite – removing the need for paper transfer packs between ERI and Finance when Research Grants are awarded.
· Energy recording Systems upgrades with Estates & Buildings to enable improved monitoring and control of energy consumption.
· Online applications process for online distance learners to obtain ID cards, which replaces the previous paper based postal process.
· Shared Academic Timetabling – collaborative working with Registry to achieve efficiencies in the use of the existing teaching space, and reducing the requirements for additional space.
· eStores – collaborative working with Finance to provide better stock control in laboratory stores, reducing wastage of perishable drugs and reagents.
· Virtual classroom – delivery of a virtual meeting space capability for classroom settings and ‘business’ meetings. Reducing the need to travel to events / meetings.
Looking Forward - Information Services 2013/2014 SRS Activities
Other SRS Activities are detailed in the latest Information Services Plan and include –
· Distance Education Initiative, enabling students to study from remote locations thus reducing the need to travel.
· Introduction of Power Management for all IS Open Access Lab PCs.
· The promotion of Power Management settings for Windows 7 Supported Desktop allowing all Windows 7 machines supported by IS to reduce energy consumption
- through monitors switching off after 10 minutes of inactivity (89% of monitors), and
- machines switching to standby after 30 minutes of inactivity (79% of systems).
· New smartcards (ID Cards) have been issued to all members of the University that utilise chip technology. This has meant that we now can take advantage of proximity door access functionality, and cashless payments at Edinburgh First cafes.
www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/information-services/services/helpconsultancy/card/smartcards
· 440 server systems being run in Virtual Mode saving significantly on power consumption.
· Online print credit facility allows web-enabled 24 x 7 top-up of printing accounts for students www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/informationservices/services/computing/desktop-personal/printing/print-and-copy/overview
· Laptop clinics empowering staff & students to carry out simple IT maintenance and encouraging good security practice.
· Remote access to software for distance users. Reducing administration and preparation overheads from producing CDs, postage and maintenance.
· Equality and Diversity, Dignity and Respect, Work Life balance through engaging with all IS staff through various forums. Individual training being offered from the IS Disability Officer on Disability Awareness.
· Commitment to the University Waste & Recycling principles.
· Commitment to the University Switch & Save Campaign, 10:10, and Mayday Network.
· Commitment for the use of Fair Trade products.
· Raising occupancy rates of IS buildings – more efficient use of resources.
· Digital Curation Centre and EDINA provide UK lead on shared services for remote access, curation, preservation and re-use.
· Edinburgh Research Archive (ERA) supports making UoE research outputs available, supports knowledge dissemination available widely to all (including third world countries). www.era.lib.ed.ac.uk/Default.aspx
· Disposal of library materials through recycling or donations made available to 3rd world countries, various agencies including Better World Books: www.betterworldbooks.com
· Ensuring continuity of access to digital content: international leadership with The Keeper's Registry (PEPRS); leadership in CLOCKSS and UK LOCKSS Alliance.
· Participation in UKRR (UK Research Reserve for print journals) which creates sustainable future for print materials to support research in UK. http://www.ukrr.ac.uk
· Talbot Rice Gallery and University museums educational programmes support inclusion agenda.
· University Museums and Galleries recruiting internship from BME (Black and Minority Ethnic) group.
In addition to the activities detailed in the plan Information Services will also -
· Review the position of the power-down of the lecture theatre PCs working with key stakeholders to consider the demands of the users.
· Information Services will continue the push to virtualise all servers wherever possible.
· Invite further collaborative working opportunities to improve both existing, and new processes and procedures throughout the University.
Proposed way forward to support promotion of good practices - working with the SRS Team on Sustainable IT Principles
Initial discussions have progressed with a view to strengthen collaborative working with the SRS Team. Various activities have been undertaken in the past including a ‘Green IT Committee’.
Information Services are committed to supporting such activities and setting best practise principles within University in terms of a Sustainable IT agenda.
It has been agreed in principal that a Sustainable IT Committee will be reintroduced to improve on the current position within the University.
To succeed with this goal engagement from all areas of the University will be required.
Information on best practise will be shared through this forum, and information on successes, and initiatives born from this forum shared with the SEAG group.
Gregor Cunningham
IS Facilities Manager
14 October 2013
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